


With My Dying Breath

by Erosanderis



Category: Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bucky Barnes Feels, Captain America Steve Rogers, Captain America Steve Rogers/Modern Bucky Barnes, Feels, Flashbacks, M/M, Major Character Injury, Major character death - Freeform, Modern Bucky Barnes, Or Is It?, POV Steve Rogers, Professor!Bucky, Steve Rogers Feels, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Steve Rogers and the 21st Century, all the feels, author cried writing the first chapter, so many feels, you have to read to find out
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:22:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26223325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erosanderis/pseuds/Erosanderis
Summary: Steve Rogers doesn’t really get out much, despite being in the 21st century for a few years now. One night, he finally gives in to Clint’s requests to join their friends at a bar. Insert Bucky Barnes and a whirlwind romance.Based on a tumblr prompt I stumbled upon: Person A gets seriously/fatally injured during a fight. Instead of getting help, they call person B to talk to them one last time.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 24
Kudos: 52





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yellow lovelies, 
> 
> It’s me, back again with another new fic! I hope you guys like this one! 
> 
> Reader be warned, I made myself cry writing this first chapter. 
> 
> Xoxo  
> -Kit

Steve knew he didn’t stand a chance. The fight was going downhill, and it was going downhill fast. The odds of everyone on the team making it out alive were slim to none. As the leader of the team, he felt it was his responsibility to prevent as many casualties among them as possible. Even if it meant sacrificing himself. Even if it meant never seeing Bucky again. 

Steve saw it before anyone else on the team.

The leader of the alien army raised its weapon and pointed it at Natasha and Clint. 

Steve ran to them without a second thought. 

He shoved them out of the way just as the alien pulled the trigger. At the same time, Tony blasts the leader. He goes down immediately, causing his army to fall with him. 

The force of the blast knocks Steve back. There is a searing pain in his abdomen. 

When he looks down, he sees blood seeping through his uniform in multiple places. 

He knows that there is no way out of this. 

Clint and Natasha rush over to him. They are shouting something at him, but he can’t hear it. All he could think was that he would never get to hear Bucky’s voice again, he would never again see his face. 

“Stop, just stop,” he tells them. “I just want Bucky. I need to call Bucky. I need to hear his voice one last time.” 

“Okay,” Natasha says, tears in her eyes. 

She pulls his phone out of the secret pocket in his suit and dials Bucky’s number. She holds the phone up against his ear to limit his movement as much as possible. While she does that, Clint is silently trying to perform first aid on Steve. 

“Hey Stevie,” Bucky answers, a smile evident in his voice. 

“Hey sweetheart,” Steve replies, keeping his voice as even as he can. 

“How’s work? Are you on your way home?” 

“Yeah. Yeah I’m heading home now. I’m tired as hell, so I might fall asleep on you, but I just needed to hear your voice. I miss you so much,” Steve lied as silent tears fell down his cheeks. 

“I miss you too. I can’t wait to have you home again. I can’t wait to cuddle up and watch princess movies. Alpine misses you too, by the way,” Bucky adds. 

“That’s a lie and we both know it. That cat hates me.” 

Steve could see Bruce running over to where he was. Natasha gestured for Bruce to be quiet as he approached. 

Bruce kneeled down next to Clint, and did his best to help. 

“Alpine doesn’t hate you. She loves you. She just shows it by scratching. I know, because she scratches me too. But you didn’t agree on the princess movie watching.” 

“We can watch whatever princess movies you want. We should start with Aladdin. We can sing A Whole New World so loud that your neighbors will complain.” 

Bruce and Clint keep putting pressure on his wounds. Natasha is wiping tears off her cheeks, but they are falling so fast that she can’t catch them all. Wanda and Dr. Strange join the bunch, trying to use their magic to help save Steve. 

“As long as we get to watch Hercules together afterwards. Watching you sing I Won’t Say I’m in Love is one of my favorite things.” 

“I promise. We will have to make a day of it. Watch as many movies as we possibly can before we fall asleep. We can even get takeout from that Thai place you love.” 

The pain in his abdomen is growing. Whatever Wanda and Strange are trying isn’t working. Steve can feel himself slipping. He knows he can’t hang on much longer. 

“That sounds like a dream. How much longer until you get home?” 

“I’m not sure. A few hours. Plus however long we have to debrief for. But I promise I’ll see you as soon as I can.” 

“You better. I’m in desperate need of some Stevie cuddles.” 

Steve couldn’t help but smile sadly at that. His tears were falling at a near constant rate now. 

“Hey Buck, I don’t think I can stay up much longer, so I’m going to let you go now.” 

“Sleepy tight, darling.” 

“I’ll try my best. I love you. So damn much, sweetheart.” 

“I love you too. Till the end of the line.” 

“Till the end of the line. Bye sweetheart.” 

“Bye,” Bucky says as he hangs up, blissfully unaware. 

When Natasha pulls the phone away from his face, Steve finally lets out the sob he had been holding back throughout the conversation. 

Natasha wrapped her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his hair. Clint and Bruce are still applying pressure. Wanda and Strange are still trying to heal him. 

“Wait to tell him,” Steve manages to sob out. “Don’t call him when I die. Promise me you will tell him in person. And promise you will tell him how much I love him.” 

“You’re not going to die, Steve. You’re going to pull thought,” Natasha tells him. 

“Nat, I need you to promise me that. Please.” 

“Okay. I promise I’ll tell him.” 

“Thank you.” 

Steve couldn’t hang on any longer. Focusing on anything was getting difficult. The world around him was starting to get fuzzy. All of their voices started to blend together. He couldn’t make out who was talking or what they were saying. 

Steve felt his vision getting dark around the edges. He couldn’t feel anything anymore. The last thing he finds himself thinking about is Bucky’s smile before everything fades to black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies, 
> 
> I wasn’t planning on updating until Monday, but I was bored. So please enjoy chapter two!
> 
> Anyway.... Who is ready to see all the adorable fluff that leads back to the tragedy that is chapter one! I know I’m excited to see what you all think of it! I hope you all enjoy! 
> 
> Feel free to follow me on Twitter @erosanderis to stay updated on all of my works! 
> 
> Xoxo  
> -Kit

One year earlier:

“Shit,” Steve gasped as Natasha beat him. Again. 

“Come on Rogers, you’re the greatest soldier America has ever seen. What would the press say if they knew you repeatedly got your ass handed to you by a former Soviet spy?” She teased and she offered him a hand. 

Instead of letting her help him up, he pulls her down to the floor. He rolls them over so that he is on top of her, holding her hands above her head. 

“I bet they’d say that I only let you think you were winning,” he smirked down at her. 

“Hey Cap, you wanna stop eyefucking my girlfriend?” Clint shouted from the doorway of the Tower’s gym. 

“I’m not eyefucking her, I’m trying to destroy her,” Steve tells him, letting his guard down for a moment. 

Natasha takes advantage of the moment of vulnerability and flips Steve onto his back and wraps her hand around his neck. 

“You lost your focus,” she told him, slightly squeezing his throat. 

“Did your pupils just dilate? Ms. Romanov, I had no idea you were so kinky. I’m scared to imagine the things you and Clint get up to in the bedroom,” Steve teases. 

“I know you’re trying to piss me off, but I think you're just jealous that I’m getting laid regularly. You’re just a sad, lonely, old man.” 

Natasha looks down at him, grinning like a cat that caught the canary. 

“Really, again with the old man jokes. I get it, I’m a fossil. Now can you let me up? My back hurts.”

She released her grip on his throat and climbed off of him. When she stood up, she offered him her hand again. This time, Steve took her hand to help himself get up. 

“We’re going to grab drinks tonight with Jane, Darcy, and Sam. You should come,” Clint offers. “It could be fun. Worst case scenario, you have a fun night out with friends. Best case, you find a pretty woman and take her to bed. Either way, it’s better than staying in the tower all night.” 

“I’ll think about it, okay.”

“Great! We’ll probably head out around eight. Meet us in the common room then.”

Steve nods in response as he makes his way out of the gym. 

“He’s not going to come, is he?” He hears Clint mumble to Natasha, a hit of sadness in his voice. 

“He never does. I wouldn’t get your hopes up,” she replies solemnly. 

On the ride back up to his room, Steve thinks about what he overheard Clint and Natasha saying. Were his friends really that upset that he never went out with them? Could he even actually call them his friends if he never saw them outside of work? That was all going to change, he decided. 

Steve Rogers was going to go out for drinks with his friends. And maybe, just maybe, he would meet someone special. 

********

“Hey Jarvis,” Steve asks the A.I. 

“Yes, Captain Rogers?” It asks in response. 

“Can you send Wanda to my floor? I need her help with something.” 

“As you wish.” Jarvis pauses for a moment. “Ms. Maximoff has been informed you request her presence and is on her way.”

“Thanks Jarvis.”

Steve started pacing around his living room. Not only was he nervous about going out to a bar, but he was also nervous about what he was planning on telling Wanda. 

He loved Wanda. She was like the sister he wished that he had growing up. He saw so many of his qualities in the young woman, the good and the bad. He saw someone who was willing to do what she felt was right. She, like himself, was willing to allow herself to be experimented on for the sake of helping her country. He saw someone who had gone through hell and back, but still managed to come out of it as a better person. He would trust her with his life. That’s why he was so fucking terrified to tell her, but also why he wanted her to be the first person he told. 

“You’re pacing. Why are you pacing?” Wanda asked as she walked off the elevator. “You only pace like this when you are worked up about something. Did you watch the news again?”

“No,” Steve chuckles, “I wouldn’t dare watch the news. But I do need your help with something.”

When he finally stops pacing and looks over to her, she is staring at him with an eyebrow cocked and her hands on her hips. 

“You need my help? With what?”

“Clothes,” he says flatly, avoiding eye contact. 

“Clothes. Why me? Why not Natasha or Tony? They could probably handle this. Why do you need my help specifically?”

Steve took a deep breath to steady himself. He could do this. He could say it out loud. 

“Clint and Nat are going out for drinks with a few people and they invited me.”

“Still don’t see why you needed me.”

Steve picks up his pacing again. He failed to mention it that time. He was going to say it in his next statement to her. 

“Clint says he thinks that I need to get laid.” 

Or maybe he wasn’t going to tell her that time either. 

“So what? You want me to help you find clothes that women will find attractive?” 

He stops pacing and faces her. He could do this. 

“No.” 

“No?”

“No.”

“Care to elaborate?”

Deep breath. He could do this. 

“I. I want you to help me pick out an outfit to, um, to attract men,” Steve admits. 

“Okay,” Wanda tells him, clearly unphased by the new information. Then she grabs his arm and leads him to the bedroom. 

“Okay?” 

“Okay. Why, did you want me to say something else?” She asked.

“I don’t know. I feel like Captain America saying he’s gay would be a much bigger deal.”

“But he didn’t. All I heard was my good friend Steve, who seemed scared out of his mind, telling me that he wants to dress to impress men. If you want me to make a fuss, I can, but I don’t feel it’s necessary.” 

Steve smiled softly at her. He wished he could find the right words to tell her how thankful he was, but his mother always told him that actions speak louder than words. He walked over to where she was standing and pulled her into his arms. She eagerly hugged him back, tightly wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his neck. 

“Thank you,” he whispered to her. 

“You shouldn’t be thanking me,” she tells him, looking up into his eyes.

“Why not?” He asked, extremely confused. 

“You think very loudly,” she explains. “Every time you are around a man you find attractive, it’s like your thoughts actively seek out my brain.”

Steve can’t help but laugh at that. At least for a moment he does, until a realization hits him. 

“How many of the thoughts I was thinking so loudly were sexual?”

“Too many. Clint is very right. You desperately need to get laid.” 

Steve groans in response. 

After a little more teasing, Wanda kicked him out of his room so that she could accomplish the mission. She picked out what she believed was the perfect outfit for him to wear, and left it out on his bed. She told him that she left very specific instructions about wearing it that he had to follow, then made her way to the elevator. 

On his bed, she laid out her outfit. For the top, she had picked a soft-looking, tight, black sweater that would easily show off how muscular he was. For pants, she left out a pair of black jeans. These were also tight fitting. Steve was beginning to sense a pattern. For shoes, she left him a pair of black combat boots. The last thing on the bed was folded up into a neat little red square and had a note on top of it. 

Before he unfolded the square, he decided to read the instructions Wanda had left for him. It read, ‘make sure that when you wear this, the red is visible on your hips.’ 

Curious, Steve picked up the square and unfolded it. His eyes widened in shock when he realized what was in his hands. 

A pair of bright red boxer briefs. 

Wanda has selected a specific pair of underwear for Steve. Not only did she do that, but she left him with specific instructions on how to wear them. 

He trusted her judgment though. So instead of ignoring the last article of clothing she left for him, he decided to try it out. 

He placed the underwear back on his bed and made his way to the bathroom. He took a nice long shower to prepare himself for the fun night he may or may not have. 

Once he was out and dried off, he put on the outfit that Wanda had chosen, making sure to follow the instructions she left. When he had the whole ensemble on, he had to admit, he looked good. The sweater was tight in all the right places, the jeans made his ass look great, and the underwear was the right choice. If Steve saw a guy at the bar with a little bit of color peeking out of his waistband, he would want to see him in just that. 

He made sure that his wallet and phone were in his pockets before heading off of his floor. When he was in the elevator on his way to the common room, Steve felt excited. He was going to go out and have a fun night with friends. 

And goddamnit, Steve Rogers was going to get himself laid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, 
> 
> Can we just take a moment to appreciate Steve and Wanda’s relationship! We were totally robbed of that dynamic in the films, but as I like to say ‘fic to fix cannon.’ 
> 
> Anyway, comments and kudos are always appreciated. 
> 
> -Kit


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies, 
> 
> Back again with more fluff to make the coming tragedy hurt more, because clearly I am evil :)  
> Also, we now have a chapter count which is fun! Is it the actually number of chapters I will end up writing, who knows because I’m not entirely sure how much fluff I will be throwing in the middle of this. So that number is subject to change.....
> 
> Anyway, please enjoy! 
> 
> Xoxo   
> -Kit

“Damn Steve,” Clint greeted, punctuating his sentence with a wolf whistle. “Why are you dressed all sexy-like?” 

Steve cocked an eyebrow at him. 

“If memory serves, you invited me to go out for drinks with you guys. What, did you change your mind about wanting me to tag along?”

Clint stared at him, mouth gaping. He then turned to Natasha as if to seek verification that he heard Steve correctly. She gave him a slight nod to confirm. 

“You’re actually coming out with us? Like in public. To a bar. To socialize,” Clint asked incredulously.

“Yup,” Steve told him. “I figured it was about time that I actually did something with my friends outside of missions or training.” 

“Well, I’m glad you finally decided to live a little.” 

It didn’t take long for the rest of their group to arrive. Once everyone was together, and had their moment to question the fact that Steve was joining them, they made their way to the bar. They all piled into one of Tony’s many cars so that Happy could bring them there. 

The group were talking amongst themselves about how their days had gone, but Steve sat in silcence. He figured it was only a matter of time before someone noticed how quiet he was being. In the end, and to no ones surprise, that person ended up being Sam. 

“Steve,” he started, “you’re being uncharacteristically quiet.” 

Everyone ended whatever conversation they were having to focus on Steve and Sam. 

“I am?” Steve answers, trying to mask his nerves. 

“Yes, you are. And I know you know it too. So out with it. What’s bugging you?”

“I just,” Steve pauses, taking in a breath, “I’m just not used to going out like this. It makes me a little uncomfortable, but I also want to spend time with you guys.”

“Ooooooh,” Sam says with a knowing smirk. “I know what this is about. You are actually going to try to get laid! Don’t worry man, the ladies will love you.” 

The others are quick to agree with Sam, encouraging Steve. Instead of telling them the truth, Steve just gives an awkward laugh in the hopes that they will move on. Luckily they do, and it only takes a few more minutes for them to make it to the bar. 

Their merry little band quickly makes their way to a booth in the back of the bar, allowing all the spies and soldiers an optimal view of the entire space. A server comes and takes their drink orders. Each person ordered their own cocktail or beer and Clint decided to order a round of tequila shots for the table. Steve wasn’t looking forward to those, but alcohol didn’t effect him anymore so he was willing to go along. 

Not too long after they ordered, their drinks arrived. Clint passed out the shots and captured everyone’s attention so that he could give a toast. 

“A toast to friendship,” he begins, “and to getting Captain tight-ass laid!” 

Everyone clinks their shot glasses together and down them quickly. Immediatly following, they begin to point our different women to Steve. 

Steve does his best to find something he doesn’t like about each of the women; too tall, too short, too many piercings, not enough ass. In actuality, he was just trying to scope out the guys without any of his friends catching on. 

After an hour or so of failed attempts, Steve sees him. Standing at the bar is the most beautiful man he’s ever seen. His long brown hair is pulled into a messy bun at the nape of his neck, his lips pretty pink lips were turned up in a smile as he laughed at what the woman next to him said. 

Oh, there was a woman next to him. She was a little bit shorter than him with long blonde curls. Even Steve had to admit she was pretty, but he was still a bit dissapointsd. He looked down at his drink, suddenly not wanting to be in the bar anymore. 

Natasha must have noticed, because she was poking him in the side. 

“So which one is it?” She whispered in his ear. 

“Which one is what?” He mumbled back. 

“The one you think is cute, obviously. Is it the blonde or the brunet?” 

“What?”

“Two people walked over to the bar in your general line of sight and you look like you have seen a literal angel. The only two people it could have been were the brunet or the blonde he is with. Which one is it?” 

Steve’s face instantly shifts from confusion to panic. Seeing the change makes Natasha smirk. 

“I knew it,” she tells him. “They aren’t together, I can tell that much. Lucky you he has long hair and a slim waist. If you stand on his left to talk you can get away with it. Everyone besides us is too drunk to tell the difference, and I can run interference for you.”

He looks at Natasha in awe for a moment before getting his ass in gear.

“Thanks Natasha,” he says genuinely, before getting up from the booth. 

He makes his way to the bar, ignoring the whoops and catcalls from his drunken friends. He walks over to the man’s left side where there is thankfully an open bar stool. 

“Is this seat taken?” Steve asks him in what he hopes is a flirtation voice. 

The man looks up at him, and god, he is more beautiful up close. His eyes are the most beautiful shade of blue that Steve has seen since the serum fixed his color blindness. His lips are shiny, as if he was wearing lip gloss. 

“Hopefully by you,” the man flirts back with him, biting his bottom lip. 

Steve smiles at the man as he sits down on the barstool. 

“I’m Steve, by the way,” he introduced himself. 

“Bucky,” the man -Bucky- replies. 

“Well it’s nice to meet you Bucky. What brings you to the bar tonight?” Steve asks, almost immediately regretting how awkward he sounded. 

“Likewise,” Bucky flirts. “My friend Sharon, the blonde next to me, just got a new job. We came out to celebrate. What brings you out tonight?” 

“Congratulations to your friend. I decided to finally take my coworkers on their offer to go out for drinks, and glad that I did,” Steve flirted back. 

“I’m glad you did too,” Bucky smiles, placing his hand on Steve’s thigh. “Now that we are on a first name basis, why don’t you buy me that drink you were planning to offer when you walked over here.” 

“Now what makes you think I was planning to do that?” Steve teases. 

“Oh, I’m sorry Steve,” Bucky begins, voice dripping with sarcasm. “I figured you came over here with the intent to take me home. I feel like you have been in this century long enough to know that.” 

Steve’s face went white at that comment. Bucky not only knows who he is, but he also knows that Steve walked over to him with the intent of taking him home. This is exactly why Steve didn’t go out. 

“I, I have to go,” he manages to stutter out. 

With that, Steve bolts to the door of the bar. He can hear Bucky saying his name, but he doesn’t care. He needed to get away from there before he risked outing himself further. 

He can sense someone running behind him, but he isn’t concerned. It’s probably just Natasha trying to figure out what was wrong. All he wanted was to have one night of fun at the bar with his friends which would hopefully end in anonymous sex, but nope. He had to go and get recognized by the guy he ended up flirting with. 

It didn’t take long for the person behind him to catch up to where he was. They put their hand on his bicep to get him to stop walking. 

“Sorry for running off, I just-” Steve begins to say as he turns around, stopping when he realizes the person who chased after him was actually Bucky. 

“I’m the one who should be apologizing to you,” he says earnestly. “I don’t think out in the open is a good place to talk about this, but there is a 24 hour cafe a block and a half away if you’re willing to listen.” 

Steve, being the type of person he is, was willing to give Bucky the benefit of the doubt and hear what he had to say. He gestures for Bucky to lead the way and follows in silence. 

When they make it to the cafe, they each order an herbal tea and find a table in the back away from the other patrons and staff. After a minute of silence, Bucky begins to explain himself. 

“This is going to sound a little creepy for a second, but I knew who you were the second you walked over to me. I’m a history professor at NYU, specializing in World War Two. Well, the Howling Commandos to be specific. My grandfather was one of the people they saved in Azzano and I grew up hearing stories about you guys. So anyway, when you started flirting with me I knew I had to find some way to tell you I knew who you were. I would have felt super skeezy if I went home with you and just pretended I didn’t know who you were. Maybe the way I did it was wrong, but I didn’t want to make a big deal about it. I just wanted to subtly make you aware of the fact that I knew what your job was. I also want you to know that no matter what the outcome of this conversation is, I won’t tell anyone about tonight.” 

“You know you could make a fortune in the tabloids spilling that secret, right? People would pay big bucks to learn that Captain America is gay,” Steve tells him, only realizing what he said after-the-fact. He then huffs out a laugh. “You know, that’s only the second time I’ve actually said those words out loud to someone.” 

“Captain America isn’t gay. Steve Rogers is gay, and he happens to be the guy who is currently wearing that star spangled monstrosity of a suit. Captain America is a character that anyone can play. Who the person under the suit is shouldn’t matter or impact anyone’s outlook on the character. At least, that’s how I see it.”

Steve was shocked to say the least. The only people who ever saw him as something other than the Captain were the Commandos and Peggy. No one else has been able to separate the two. But here is Bucky, sitting across from him at a cafe, treating him like he’s a normal person. 

“Have you ever been to Avengers tower?” Steve asks, catching Bucky off guard. 

“Um, no?” He answers, clearly confused by the question. 

“Shame. It’s such a beautiful building, especially the residential floors. I could show you if you’d like,” Steve says with a smirk. 

“You could-?” Bucky begins before the realization of what Steve said hits him. “Yeah. Yeah I would like that. I bet the view from those floors is amazing.” 

“Oh it is. Especially the view from my bedroom.” 

“Is it now?” Bucky says as they get up from their table and head to the door. 

“Mhm,” Steve tells him. “The only thing better than the view is the coffee in the morning. Tony ensures that all residents and their guests have the best of the best.” 

“Are you suggesting I try some of this coffee?” 

“Only if you stay the night. I would hate to keep you up to late.” 

“Pity. I was hoping that you would keep me up for quite some time,” Bucky smirks. 

“Well, who am I to say no to such a request.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy, 
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this new chapter! Hopefully I will be back this time Next week with chapter four! 
> 
> Totally unrelated but I just learned I slept through an earthquake??? Because apparently 2020 means the east coast gets those now 🙃
> 
> Anyways, comments and kudos are always appreciated. Love you all and thank you for reading! 
> 
> -Kit


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies, 
> 
> Honestly, I don’t even know what day I’m even updating this story on anymore. The plan is once a week, but I think I want to do weekend updates. But also I have another story Thays updated on weekends and I don’t wanna have two at the same time. So just bear with me while I figure this shit out. 
> 
> Anyways, enjoy the fluff! Enter A+ nosey bestie Natasha. 
> 
> Xoxo   
> -Kit

Steve woke up feeling more content than he had in a long time. He couldn’t help but smile when he looked down at the man sleeping on his chest. The night they spent together had been amazing, but it left Steve wanting more. He liked waking up with someone else lying next to him. It was a feeling that he knew he could get used to very quickly, but this wasn’t like that. It was a one night stand. Sure, he and Bucky had fun in bed, but that’s all it would ever be. One great night that would fuel Steve’s fantasies for much longer than he would ever admit to anyone. 

Instead of dwelling on the reality of the situation, Steve decides to extract himself from Bucky’s octopus-like grip and make the coffee he promised the night before. He grabs a pair of grey sweatpants out of the drawer in his nightstand and makes his way to the kitchen. 

When he gets there, he is met with a very familiar redhead sipping a latte in his breakfast nook. 

“Morning,” she smirks at him. 

“Why are you in my kitchen?” Steve asks, not awake enough to bother with pleasantries. 

“One would think that after getting laid you would be in a much better mood. Something about release and all that fun stuff. Emphasis on the fun.” 

“Well, you see, I was having a great morning until I saw that someone had broken into my house and stolen some of my coffee. And my favorite mug,” Steve points out upon realizing she was using the mug that Wanda made for him when she attempted to take a pottery class. 

“Come on Rogers,” she starts as she gets up from her seat. “It’s time for some girl talk. I want all the dirty details. Tell me, was he really as good in the sack as he looked? Did you keep him up into the wee hours of the morning and make him do the walk of shame before the sun rose? I need something fun to get me through my hangover.” 

Steve quirks an eyebrow. 

“You are hungover? I thought you were too Russian for that?”

“That’s what I tell people to make them think I’m better than them. Get with the program Rogers. Also, stop avoiding my questions.” 

Before Steve had the chance to tell her that those details were none of her business, he heard his bedroom door open. 

“Steve?” Bucky’s voice calls out. 

Natasha’s lips turn up into a devilish smirk when she hears him. 

“Well good morning to me,” she purrs. 

Steve turns around, only to be met with a wide eyed, blushing Bucky in nothing but his boxer briefs. He opens his mouth like he is going to say something, but quickly snaps it shut and rushes back to Steve's bedroom. 

Steve shoots Natasha a death glare, silently hoping that her being here didn’t ruin his already nonexistent chance with Bucky. 

Bucky reappears almost as quickly as he disappeared. Though, this time he is dressed in the clothes that he was wearing last night. 

“Sorry about that,” he stammers. “I didn’t realize Steve had company. I’ll, um, I’ll get out of your hair. Um, bye, I guess.” 

Before Bucky can make his exit, Natasha stops him. 

“Please, stay for breakfast. Stevie here is quite the sap. I know he was planning on making you something stupid like waffles, isn’t that right Rogers.” She asks him, placing her mug on the counter. 

“Breakfast sandwiches,” Steve mumbles back, a blush coating his cheeks. 

“I’m sorry, what was that?” Natasha teases. “Not all of us have super soldier hearing.” 

“I said I was planning on making breakfast sandwiches.” 

“Sounds delicious. As much as I would love to stay and join you both, I do have things to do.” She turns to Bucky, speaking directly to him. “It was lovely to meet you Dr. Barnes. I hope I’ll be seeing more of you around the tower.”

With that, Natasha makes her way out of the apartment, leaving two stunned men in her wake. 

“That was the Black Widow,” Bucky states, still clearly in shock. 

“Mmh,” Steve hums in response. 

“And she knows my name. Wait. How does she know my name? If memory serves, I introduced myself as Bucky. How does she know my last name? Or that I have my doctorate?”

“How about before I try to explain Natasha to you I make that cup of coffee I promised last night?” Steve asks, gesturing for Bucky to take a seat at the breakfast nook Natasha had previously occupied. 

“Yeah, yeah that sounds like a good idea,” Bucky says, still clearly in shock. 

As Bucky takes a seat at the counter, Steve moves over to the coffee maker to start making the lattes. He fumbles around with the bottles of flavoring to figure out what is best. 

Steve ends up making them cinnamon vanilla lattes for them. When he froths the milk, he decides to attempt some sort of latte art. He manages to make a half decent leaf in one mug and something that vaguely resembles a heart in the other. He slides the one with the leaf design over to Bucky, knowing the heart could be taken the wrong way. 

Bucky grabs the offered mug and takes a sip. He isn’t able to hold back a moan as the coffee hits his tongue. Steve would be lying if he said that sound didn’t excite him a little. 

“You were right,” Bucky tells him. “This is the best coffee I’ve ever had. And now that it’s in my system, care to tell me why the Black Widow knows my name?” 

“Well,” Steve starts, pausing to take a sip of his latte, “she was the one who suggested I go talk to you last night. She either took a picture of you then or looked at security footage in the tower lobby and had Jarvis run facial recognition on you. Can’t be too safe when it comes to bringing strangers in here.” 

Bucky takes a few more sips of his coffee before replying to Steve. “That makes sense, I guess. But who is Jarvis? Is he some super secret spy or something?” 

Steve chuckles at the glimmer in Bucky’s eyes when he asks that. “No, he’s actually Tony’s A.I. He runs the while tower.” Steve then directs his gaze to the ceiling. “Jarvis, you wanna say hi to our guest? Or are you going to stay silent and make me look like a crazy person who is talking to the ceiling?” 

After a moment of silence, consisting of Bucky quirking an eyebrow at Steve and Steve starting to panic, Jarvis pipes up. 

“Apologies Captain, but Mr. Stark programmed me to pause for a moment whenever a person other than himself is introducing someone to me.” 

“Of course he did,” Steve says, exasperated. 

“Wow,” is all Bucky can say, mouth agape. “That’s so fucking cool! What can it do?” 

Before Steve can answer, Jarvis jumps in. “I can do just about anything, Dr. Barnes. My abilities range from ordering take out, aiding in research, and helping Mr. Stark with computations for the technology he is creating. As long as it does not require a physical body, I can accomplish it. And if what you need does require a body, I can help you obtain one.”

Bucky’s expression of wonder switches to one of mild horror. 

“Steve,” he whispers, “that last sentence he said sounded vaguely murdery and now I am starting to fear for my life. If anyone could create the robot to start an uprising it would be Tony Stark.” 

“I assure you Dr. Barnes, I have no intention of hurting humans,” Jarvis pipes up. 

Bucky’s eyes go wide at that. 

“Yeah, it’s kinda of hard to have a conversation in the tower that Jarvis doesn’t hear,” Steve admits. “Tony also has him programmed to read notes and understand ASL for when Clint, sorry Hawkeye, is too busy drinking coffee by the pot to bother actually speaking.” 

“I don’t know whether to be more terrified or impressed.” 

“At first I was terrified, but now I’m somewhere between fear and impressed and I feel like that is a pretty good place to be with an AI.” 

“Cheers to that,” Bucky says, living up his mug. “Now, I believe I was promised a breakfast sandwich. What exactly does that entail?” 

“Well,” Steve begins, placing his elbows on the counter and placing his head in his hands, “that depends on what you like. I can do eggs any way you like. You can choose between sausage, ham, bacon, or no meat. I also have an assortment of veggies and cheeses. And it can be on toast, an English muffin, or a bagel. It’s very customizable.” 

“Wow,” Bucky says, wide eyed. “How about just a classic bacon egg and cheese.” 

“I can swing that. How do you want the egg, what type of cheese, and what’s your carb of choice?” 

“Hm, over easy, cheddar, and a bagel.” 

“Done, done, and done. You just sit there and look pretty and I’ll have it ready in no time at all.” 

With that being said, Steve makes his way over to the fridge to get out all of the ingredients for their breakfast. He works mostly in silence, only humming to himself as he cooks up the bacon. He even makes a point of shimmying his hips a little. Bucky seems to appreciate it based on the soft chuckle he lets slip. 

Not too long after, their breakfast is finished and plated. Steve grabs them both and places Bucky’s in front of him. He is pretty sure he can see Bucky begin to salivate at the sight of the sandwich. Neither man hesitated to dig into the food, both letting out soft groans at the taste. 

“This is amazing Steve,” Bucky tells him after he finishes his first bite. 

“I’m glad you like it. I’ve been told that breakfast sandwiches are my specialty,” Steve admits with a soft smile. 

“Whoever told you that is very right. I could eat this every day for the rest of my life and be happy.” 

Immediately after saying that, Bucky’s face flushes. It takes all of Steve’s willpower not to say something stupid, like how he would be happy to make one every morning for Bucky as long as they fell asleep together every night.

Instead Steve just huffs out a laugh. “Well, it is pretty easy to make.” 

“For you maybe. I, however, am the type of person who could burn cereal. You might not think it’s possible, but I assure you that one day I will manage to do that,” Bucky laughs. 

“Well, if you want, I could teach you some basics. The tower has one of the best fire suppression systems. If you want to, no pressure or anything. Feel free to tell me to fuck off.” 

“No,” Bucky says, smiling softly, “I’d like that actually. I spent pretty much the entire time you were cooking trying to figure out how to ask for your number without being weird about it.” 

“I’d be happy to give you my number. And maybe we could plan a night to go out to dinner or something. If you would be into that sort of thing.” 

“I would very much like that Steve.” 

“Great,” Steve smiles. 

“Great,” Bucky smiles right back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again, 
> 
> Thanks a bunch for reading and I love you! 
> 
> I’ll see you again at some point next week! 
> 
> As per usual, comments and kudos are always loved. 
> 
> -Kit


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